Aerial
by Starlit Heavens
Summary: Sakura, I'm sorry. I must go, I have to protect you and Mommy. You might not understand now, but someday, you will. He then reached around his neck, and took off the silver crown that he always wore, and placed it around my neck.
1. Prolouge

Disclaimer: I'm only gonna say this once. I do not own Kingdom Hearts, Kingdom Hearts II, or any of the Disney characters/ worlds.

/-/-/-/-/-/-/

I remember how sunny it used to be. How clear the water surrounding the chain of islands was, how my Father and I would run up and down the beach when I was small, and how my Mother would laugh when my Father would chase after her. Then, I would laugh when he picked her up over his shoulder, and she would screech in delight. In turn, my Father would turn to me, set my Mother down, and say:

"So, you think that's funny, do you?" In response, I would only laugh harder. My Father would then grin at me, a wicked gleam playing in his eyes.

"How would you like it if I did that to you!" And then we would start all over again. Sometimes I would try to climb a tree, but this would only end up in me being captured faster.

I remember that just as the sun would set, Mother would call us in for dinner, and Father would let me sit on his shoulders as he carried me back to our house.

And then, one night, he left.

He_ left_ us.

I remember waking up one night, to the sound of my Mother crying, and my Father trying to consol her.

**Flashback**

_"No...No, please...don't go again..." I heard my Mother say, her voice cracking. I peeked my eye through a thin crack in the door. My Father held my Mother tightly, his face buiried in her red hair._

_"I'm sorry, Kairii...I have to go. King Mickey sent me a letter," He paused. "They'll be here tonight." At this, my Mother choked out a sob. I couldn't bear it any longer._

_"Papa...?" I stepped out from behind the door, revealing myself. His eyes opened wide and stared into my curious ones._

_Something was wrong. I could see it._

_  
"Sakura..." He kneeled down on the carpet, and reached out his arms towards me. I walked into them, and he pulled me into a big hug._

_"Papa...Where are you going?" I asked. He pulled away to look into my eyes. I could see my reflection in the deep blue of his eyes._

_"Sakura, I'm sorry. I must go, I have to protect you and Mommy. You might not understand now, but someday, you will." He then reached around his neck, and took off the silver crown that he always wore, and placed it around my neck._

_"This, is my promise, that we will one day meet again, my daughter." He stood up, and kissed my Mother, before walking out the door._

_I saw him dissapear into the night, and from us._

**End Flashback**

I had had no idea that that would be the last time I would see my Father. My Mother tried her best to substitute for him, but both of us knew things wouldn't ever be the same.

I'm fourteen now. I was four then. It's been ten years since I saw my Father. He used to send us letters, telling us that all was well, sometimes he would even send us different items.

But, one day, the letters stopped coming. We no longer received word from him, no longer got any packages from him.

We eventually stopped talking about him, altogether. I could see how much it hurt my Mother, when we talked about my Father. So, I stopped.

I no longer mentioned his name or how we used to play. All of our old photographs of the three of us together were put away.

I look out at the sea now, sitting on the warm sand, fingering the silver crown that my Father gave me.

I layed onto my back, and allowed myself to drift off, in hoping that I would wake up from this nightmare, and be four-years-old again.

_I woke up with a start. I was sitting in the same spot that I had fallen asleep on, and the only difference on the island was that it was night. I looked behind me._

_An image appeared there. A boy. He was about my age, with dark brown spiky hair, wearing all black and holding--_

_A _key

_Not just any key, this was the Keyblade._

_...How did I know what to call it?_

_He turned to me._

_Dark blue met dark blue._

_"_Sakura..._"_ _The boy whispered. He held out the key so it was pointing at me, and I stumbled back and put my hand in front of me as a reflex, but then he turned it to the side. It dissapeared into blue sparkles with a twinkling sound and reappeared in my hand._

_"How did---Who are---where am I?" I finally decided on. He smiled at me._

_"_Itshall all be answered in time. Do you remember my promise_?" He asked. I stared blankly at him for a minute, before he pointed to his chest._

_I looked down, and saw the silver crown. "B-But you can't be--" I looked back up at him, but no longer was the boy standing there. The beach was empty, and a cold wind swept through it._

I sat up in a cold sweat, my dark brown hair sticking to my forhead. My dark blue eyes searched the island, expecting to see him again.

He didn't reappear.

I sighed, and clenched my hand.

But it was already clenched around something.

I looked down, and, there, in my right hand, was:

The Keyblade.

/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/

R & R please. No flames!


	2. Fall of the Destiny Islands

I went home that night, without the Keyblade. It had dissapeared, but I had a feeling it would show up again.

"Mom, I'm home!" I called as I pushed the door open.

"I'm in the kitchen!" She called. I sniffed the air, and smiled.

_Fish._

When I entered the kitchen, the smell was so strong, my mouth began to water. I loved fish. My mother was standing at the stove, holding a frying pan handle with one hand, and a fork with the other.

"How was the island?" She asked, turning around. Her long, red hair swished when she moved, and her indigo eyes sparkled in the light from the big windows that my Father had built before he left.

"Great." I wasn't about to ruin her happy mood with my dream. She smiled at me, and stepped away from the stove.

"Sakura, I know when your lying. Your voice gets high-pitched." I blinked, trying to act innocent.

"No it doesn't." Yes it does. Darnit!

My Mother simply smiled more. "So, Kyo's birthday is tommorow." She sighed. " I remember when you two were only thigh-high and had to jump to see over the top of this counter. And now Kyo's turning fifteen and you're in love with him." I blushed.

"Mom!" She laughed.

"Well, it's true! No use denying the truth, now, is there?" I looked down.

"...No." My Mother smiled and turned back to the stove, while I allowed my mind to wander. I had already gotten Kyo a birthday p resent: a book I knew he wanted. But there was something else I wanted to get him:

A Papau fruit.

I'd heard the legend from the kids at school.

"_If you share Papau fruit with someone, your destinies are entertwined forever!_"

"_Really? I'm gonna share one with my boyfriend!_"

"_I wonder if Kyo will share a Papau fruit with me on his birthday!_"

I really wanted to share one with him, but I decided to play the role of childhood-best-friend.

Besides, he didn't like me that way...

...right?

"Sakura? Sakura, honey? Are you okay?" I looked up, startled, to see my mom peering at me with concern in her eyes. I smiled.

"Yeah, I was just, spacing out..." I stood up from the table. "I'm gonna go to my room now, Mom. Tell me when dinner's ready." She smiled back at me.

"Alright, dear." And I walked the long hallway to my room.

I sighed as I flopped down on my bed. I buried my face in my pillow, and sighed into it. I slowly drifted off to sleep.

_"_Sakura._" I opened my eyes, and found that I was no longer in my room. I was back on the beach, and it was night time again._

_I turned, and saw the boy again._

_"Who are you!?" I shouted at him. He simply smiled. Where have I seen that smile before?_

_"_That's not important right now_." He took a step closer to me. I went into a fighting stance instantly, and the Keyblade appeared in my hand. The boy, however, instead of doing anything to defend himself or attack me, simply continued to smile._

_"_Do you know what that is called_?" He asked. I was shocked._

_"The...Keyblade. Why?" I asked. He took a step closer to me._

_"_Do you know why you know what to call it?_"_

_"...No..." I answered honestly. I had no idea how I knew how to call it that. He placed a hand on my shoulder. I hadn't noticed how close he had come to me, or that I had relaxed from my fighting stance._

_"_You are the Keyblade Mistress, Sakura._" I stared blankly at him._

_"Uh, what?" He sighed, and smiled. _

_"_Twenty years ago, a boy was chosen to be the Keyblade Master. He was to save the worlds from the heartless, nobodies, Organization XIII, and Ansem, and free the captured Princesses. He did save the worlds, and reunited with his friends._" A sad smiled now graced his face._

_"_Unfortionately, the darkness has risen again, and the Keyblade master has been locked away. That is why we call upon you, Sakura. We need your help to free him_." I was still confused._

_"Why do you need me? Why can't someone else do it?" He removed his hand from my shoulder, and looked back into my eyes._

_"_All in good time, SakuraJust remember: you are the one, who will open the door._" He whispered, and then, and this is the weirdest thing I have ever, in my entire life experienced. The boy walked, not around me, not away from me, heck, he didn't even float up into the sky or sink downwards into the Earth._

_He walked right through me._

_Instead of feeling the cold that I had been told I might feel if a ghost ever walked through me, (I was asumming he was a ghost, from how much he knew), I felt warm._

_Like the warm I felt when I was with my Father._

_I turned around sharply to question him, but he was gone, and the darkness seeped in again._

I sat up with a start, causing myself to tumble off the bed and land with a loud 'oof' on the ground.

"Sakura, honey? Are you alright in there?" I heard my Mother yelling from the kitchen. I sat up, rubbing my head.

"Yes, I'm fine!"

"Dinner will be ready in a few minutes!" She yelled. Dinner? How long had I been asleep? I looked out the window and, decided that, from the sun's position, about half-an-hour.

I picked myself off of the ground, and straightened my clothes.

_Who is that boy?_ I wondered as I opened my bedroom door.

/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/

The next night was Kyo's party. I practically flew down the dock to the beach, and spotted Kyo, talking to a few of the boys from school. I bounced up behind him, and punched his shoulder playfully.

"So, the only time that I can get a hit in on you is when you're having a party?" I laughed. He turned around and grinned. His brown eyes sparkled in the light from the tikki-torches, and his mane of wild blonde hair shined.

"I suppose so, Sakura." He said, chuckling. I gave him a hug.

"Happy birthday, Kyo." I said, as he returned the hug. He pulled back, and smiled at me.

"Sakura, there is something I want to tell you." I cocked my head to the side.

"What?" Kyo seemed nervous. But that was so out of character for him! He was usually cool and confident, not ancy and nervous. Well, whatever he was about to tell me, it was interupted by a red-head girl stomping her way through the crowd towards us. I groaned inwardly.

_Yume._

Yume grabbed Kyo's arm, and stared at him with beging green eyes.

"Kyo!" She whined, in a 'Oh, aren't-I-beautiful-look-at-me-la-de-da-de-da'. I wanted to slap her. "Won't you please dance with me?" I grimaced. Kyo stared at Yume with wide eyes. He looked back and forth from her to me, and Yume eventually followed his gaze, acknowledging my presence.

"Oh, Sakura. How lovely to see you here." She spat. I gritted my teeth, but forced a smile. Yume was my enemy in winning Kyo's heart. She was also my exact opposite.

While I enjoyed hanging out with the boys, she could be seen with her little groupies.

While she liked painting her nails, getting her hair done and shopping, I liked surfing, fighting, and playing blitzball at the beach.

You get the picture.

"Sakura, dear," I heard her lace the word 'dear' with venom, "would you mind being a good little girl and fetch me a drink?" I balled my hand into a fist , but before I could refuse, she had already dragged Kyo off to the dance floor.

/-/-/-/-/

Deciding that I probably wasn't going to get a chance to be with Kyo at all that night, I entered the old secret cave.

I walked through the cave, my footsteps echoing off the walls. I sat down in front of a drawing that my Father and Mother had made when they were little.

I ran a hand over the Papau fruit drawing in between them.

**Flashback**

_I giggled as my Father chased me into the cavern. I stopped and my eyes widened when I saw all the drawings in the cave. One caught my eye, however, and, the game forgotten, I wandered over to it._

_It was an old drawing, some parts faded and some still white with the chalk. I brought my hands up to it, and felt the cold stone beneath them. Bigger, tanned hands covered my own, and my father rested his head on my shoulder._

_"So, you finally found the old drawing your mother and I made." I looked at him, tilting my head slightly._

_"You and Mama?" I asked. He turned his head and smiled at me._

_"Yes, when we were a little older than you. We drew each others faces, and later on, when I realized that I loved her, I drew a Papau fruit in between us." I had turned my head back to look at the drawing, and saw that the faces did, in fact, resemble Mother and Father._

_Suddenly, his hands were off of mine, and on either sides of my waist, and I was up in the air, and on my father's shoulders._

_"Now, let's go home and eat some dinner!" He mocked roared, and ducked his head when we reached the opening of the cave, so I squealed in terror._

**End Flashback**

I sighed, and closed my eyes.

"This world has been conected, once again." I opened my eyes sharply and turned around. Standing across from me was a man in a black cloak.

"What?" I asked, curiousity taking over my fear. I couldn't see the man's face, but I didn't like the feeling that came from him. It seemed to infect the whole cave, and sent shivers up my spine.

"Soon, this world will be no more. And with the Key-bearer asleep, no one will be able to stop it." I frowned. Had he not heard me? He walked over to the wooden door in the back, and ran a hand along it. When he removed his hand, there was a keyhole there.

I stared at it. It almost seemed to be...calling to me. When I turned to look if the man was still there, I found that he had dissapeared.

I walked ouside, no longer wanting to stay in the cave. I relaxed when the cool breeze hit my face, and I heard the swaying of the palm trees and the waves of the ocean breaking on the sand.

It was then that I realized that I couldn't hear any sounds of the party. The music was gone, as were the lights. I ran to the beach.

"Hello?" I called, but no one answered me.

/-/-/-/-/-/-/

Back at the house, Kairii sat on the balcony, reading a book. She could hear the lively music coming from the beach, but payed no mind.

Then, there was another sound.

She looked up.

An,_ engine_?

Sure enough, there was a distant sparkle of light, and suddenly, a ship was zooming towards her.

When it got closer, she realized what ship it was:

The Gummie Ship.

Her heart rose in her chest, and a true smile graced her face.

_It's him! He's finally home!_ She raced downstairs to the dock, where the Gummie Ship had landed. The door creacked open, and, someone stepped out.

"Kairii?" The voice asked. Kairii nodded.

"Yes, I'm here." She said. The figure walked towards her, and was revealed to be Leon. Her heart dropped, but she was still happy to see him.

Leon had his gun sword swung across his shoulders, and his face was grim.

"Kairii, you need to go inside and get the stuff you want to save. Then, go get Sakura, and come back here. You guys can't stay here anymore. It isn't safe." Kairii gaped.

"Are...are_ they_ coming?" She asked, shaking. Leon looked down.

"Yes, tonight." Kairii covered her mouth with a hand. Her eyes imediatly traveled to the far off island. Leon followed her gaze.

"You need to go get your stuff, now!" He said, and she didn't wait another minute. Kairii turned and ran back up the dock, upstairs into the house.

A few minutes later, she was back with a bag slung over her shoulder.

"Sakura's at the beach!" She said, breathlessly, as her and Leon raced down the dock. They entered the Gummie Ship. Kairii looked eagerly around, but felt a hand on her shoulder.

"He's not here, Kairii." Kairii looked down.

"Hey, but we are!" She looked up again, and saw Yuffie waving at her. She smiled, and waved back.

"C'mon, let's get this show on the road!" Cid called from the front of the ship, where he had his hands on the controls. Everyone nodded.

"We'll finally get to meet your daughter, Kairii!" Yuffie said, nearly bouncing out of her seat. Kairii sat down next to her, and Leon sat next to Cid.

/-/-/-/-/-/

"Sakura?" I turned, and saw Kyo walking towards me. He looked confused. "Where is everyone?"

"I..I don't know." I said, looking around. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a shadow move. I snapped my head in its direction.

"Huh? What was that?" I turned back to Kyo.

"Did you see tha--" I stopped when I saw that Kyo wasn't there. Where had he gone?

"Kyo?" I yelled. Was I all alone now? Ahead of me, I saw a shadow move again.

"Kyo?" I asked, quietly. The shadow creeped along the beach, and I gasped when it became 3-D and formed into a little black creature, with yellow eyes. I stumbled back, and the Keyblade apeared in my hand. The shadow moved back and forth, bouncing on its heels, as if it was waiting for the right time to do something.

I had been concentraiting so hard on the one shadow in front of me, that I didn't notice all the other little creatures that looked just like the first one, until they had surrounded me in a complete circle. I took a fighting stance, and charged my way through, slashing at them with the Key. They dissapeared, but more soon came to take their place.

Soon, the whole beach was swarming with them. I tried my best to fight my way through them, and to the peir, but there were just to many! One pushed me over and I thought for sure I was a goner when I heard someone calling my name. I looked up, and saw that a girl was flinging ninja stars at the creatures. It was hard to make out her features, but I could definetly see that she was a girl.

Someone picked me up by the back of my shirt. I looked up, and could barely make out a man with long brown hair standing there, wearing mostly black except for a white shirt under his short black jacket. Slung over his left shoulder was a sword that resembled a gun. He was looking straight ahead, at the creatures.

"You have the Keyblade, don't you?" He asked, as he set me back on my feet. I nodded, and then realized that he probably couldn't see me.

"Ah, yes." I said, still staring up at him. I saw his head move, and figured that he nodded.

"Good. We'll make our way to Yuffie. C 'mon." He jumped into the swarm of creatures, and began swinging his blade around and shooting fire from it. I stared in shock for a few seconds, before shaking my head and jumping into stand next to him.

Together, we b attled our way towards the girl, (who I guess was Yuffie), and she led us to an orange and yellow ship. I fell to my knees, exhausted from using so much energy, and supported my body with my hands. I heard the man shout to someone in the front to start the engines, and felt someone place their hands on my shoulders.

I realized that it was my Mom, and smiled. She was okay! I frowned, however, when I thought about Kyo. Was he alright?

As I kneeled on the floor, I sensed a presence and slowly looked up. The boy was standing there, smiling at me. As my eyelids began to droop, and the darkness of sleep overcame me, I heard him whisper:

"_Just remember, Sakura: You are the one, who will open the door._"


	3. Rise of a Heroine

_Darkness..._

_I'm falling through darkness._

_No. Not darkness._

_Nothingness._

_My body is numb, and as I fall, images flash before my eyes._

_/-/-/-/-/_

_The beach with three children standing on it. The tallest is a boy with silver hair; the next is the boy who gave me the Keyblade, and the last is a girl with red hair._

_/-/-/-/-/_

_Two strange animals: a duck dressed in blue clothing and holding a staff, and a dog dressed in a black vest, green turtle neck, and yellow pants, holding a shield._

_/-/-/-/-/_

_Many different places and people, finally ending on a white room. I realized that I was no longer falling, but I was standing in the room! The room was completely white, save for light purple circles on the floor, getting bigger as they rippled out, surrounding something that looked like a giant purple flower bud. _(A/N: That's what I thought when I saw it...)

_I noticed that there was someone standing in front of it, their black-coat clad back facing me. They turned around, and pulled down the hood, to reveal a man with spiky blonde hair and deep blue eyes, the same color as mine. He smiled._

_"I wondered when you would come here, Sakura." He said. I stepped back._

_"How--"_

_"Did I know your name?" He finished, chuckling slightly._

_"Sakura, I know a lot about you, from a _very_ reliable source, trust me." He said. I growled. I wanted some answers!_

_"First off, what's your name, and why do you look so much like the boy who gave me this?" I asked, holding out my hand and summoning the Keyblade. The man, who instead of being startled, just stood there, unfazed, and his smile grew._

_"Ah, the Keyblade." He said, looking at it as he seemed to talk to himself more than to me. "I wondered when He would give it to you." I cocked my head to the side._

_"Who's 'he'? The boy from the island?" I asked, now completely curious. The man moved his eyes to my face, and laughed. I put my hands on my hips._

_"What's so funny!" I yelled, irritated. His laughter quieted down, but he was still giggling when he answered._

_"It's just, that..." His giggling stopped, and he held a warm smile on his face, "you act just like Him." I felt myself relax._

_"Him...?" I looked at the ground, my eyes searcing it for some answer. I snapped my head back up, my blue eyes wide._

_"Do you mean my--"_

_"Yes, Sakura. I do mean your Father." I was dumbstruck. If this man knew my Father, then maybe..._

_"Do you," I started quietly, suddenly unsure of myself, "know where he is?" I asked. _

_"Yes, Sakura. I do." I grinned, and my heart filled with hope. The man motioned for me to come forward, and I did, no longer wary. I came and stood next to him, and he turned to look at the 'bud'._

_"You must awaken the Keyblade Master." He said, his attitude turned serious. I looked at him sideways._

_"The Keyblade Master? What does that half to do with my Father?" I asked. He turned to look at me._

_"It has _everything _to do with him." The man smiled again, and put his hand on my shoulder. "We shall meet again, Sakura. Very soon."_

_He pushed me lightly, and I felt myself falling into the nothingness. My body went numb, and as my eyes closed and I saw the man and the white room fade away, I heard him shout:_

_"Oh, and Sakura! Your Dad says, 'Hi'!"_

/-/-/-/-/

"Do you think she's alright?" A woman's voice?...Mom?

"Yes. She's just tired from using so much energy." A man...the man who helped me!

"I told ya we shoulda gone earlier, but no! We had ta wait 'til 'Mr. Sunshine' was here!" Another male. I don't recognize his voice.

"Hey, I had to make sure that everything was secure at the castle before I could come!" Another guy. I groaned. What was going on?

"Shhhh! I think she's waking up!" This was another woman's voice. As feeling returned to my body, I slowly sat up, and opened my eyes. I was met with the sight of a pair of dark brown eyes, mere inches from my face. I gasped, let out a strangled cry, and fell over the other side of the bed I had been laying on.

"Yuffie!" I heard many voices shout at once.

"What?" The woman asked. I slowly peeked over the side of my bed, my eyes wide at what I saw.

The woman who had been at the island was there, along with the man who had helped me to my feet. My Mother was staring over the bed at me,

her hands on her knees. There were three more men in the room: One really old guy, who had a long silver beard, and was dressed all in blue; blue robes, and a blue pointy hat to complete the 'Wizard's' look.

The next was younger, but I had the sudden urge to call him 'Grandpa'. He had a toothpick hanging out of his mouth, and looked like he was ready to jump into a garage at any minute and start working on a machine.

The last was probably the youngest of all the men. He was leaning against the wall, and I would have thought that he was indifferent to the whole situation, but the angry look in his eyes told me otherwise.

"Uh, hello?" I said, slowly pulling myself up and onto the bed so I was sitting cross-legged. Everyone turned to me. There was silence for a few minutes, as I felt everyone in the room eyes fall on me. I blushed under the gazes. Why were they all staring at me?! Finally, I couldn't take it anymore.

"Alright, that is it!" I yelled, jumping off the bed. Everyone took a step back, and I couldn't blame them. I had been told that, when I was mad, I was not a force to be reckoned with. "I want some answers! Where am I? What happened to my home? What were those creatures that attacked me? And who is the boy that gave me this?" I summoned the Keyblade. Again, no one seemed bothered that I had just made a giant key-sword-thingy apear in my hand out of thin-air.

Everyone looked from one to the other, an unsure look on their faces. Finally, my Mother stepped forward, and was about to say something, when the door flew open.

A small, cloaked figure was standing there. I could see that whoever it was had large ears, that reminded me of a mouse. They pulled down their hood, and my jaw dropped in surprise.

It _was_ a mouse!

"King Mickey?" My Mom asked in surprise. I snapped my head to her. She _knew_ him? And, furthermore, he was a _King_?

...Okay, I've lost it.

The mouse walked in, a smile on his face. "Hello, Kairi! It's wonderful to see you again." He turned his head to me. His eyes went wide.

"Oh, my! Is this Sakura?" He asked. Kairi nodded.

"Yes, this is Sakura." The King bounded over to me, and took my hand. I think that if my jaw had dropped any lower, than it would have fallen off. He shook it vigorously.

"Sakura Hikari! It is a pleasure to finally meet you! My name is King Mickey. I am the King of Disney Castle." He noticed the Keyblade in my hand other hand. "You...you have the Keyblade?" He stuttered. Finally! Someone was shocked that I had this thing! I nodded.

"Yes, your, er, majesty." He let go of my hand. The room was silent again, and the King had a thoughtful look on his face. He looked at my Mom after a minute.

"He...hasn't returned home yet?" She looked down, so that her red bangs covered her eyes.

"No. We havent heard from him in ten years." King Mickey looked down, his eyes closed. I watched him curiously. Sora? Who was this 'Sora'? I put my finger on my lips as I thought.

_Lesse, here._

_He hasn't returned home, yet._

_Mom hasn't heard from him in ten years._ I tapped my foot on the ground._ Who could it be?!_ I gasped and snapped my fingers.

"You don't mean my Dad, do you?" I asked the King. He looked up at me, and blinked, confusion in his eyes. He turned to Mom.

"You guys, never told her about the Keyblades?" Mom shook her head.

"No. We wanted to keep her in the dark about that, so she wouldn't be apart of it." Mom looked at the Keyblade in my hand. "But, now that the Heartless have returned..." She trailed off. There was silence once again. The Ninja-girl, Yuffie, broke it.

"Hey, but that can't mean that Sora's dead! He gave the Keyblade to Sakura, after all!" She said, trying her best to be optimistic. Everyone lightened up at this. I was just as puzzled as ever. I flopped back on the bed.

"Okay, start from the begining." I said. Yuffie sat on the bed next to me, and my Mother on my other side. The old man took a seat at a table in the middle of the room.

"Well, before we begin this story, I think we should have some introductions, don't you? My name is Merlin." He said. "This is Cid," he motioned towards the man who I had the urge to call 'Grandpa'. Cid nodded at me, and did a small salute.

"Hi, there, 'kiddo!" I nodded.

"What's up, Gramps." I saw him twitch visibly, but everyone snickered, except my Mom. She smacked me upside the head.

"Ow!" I yelled, putting my hands behind my head to rub the sore spot. "What was that for?" I pouted. She gave me a look.

"Don't disrespect your elders." Cid waved her off.

"Nah, Kairi. Don' worry 'bout it. Her Dad used ta call me that, and I've taken a likin' to it." Merlin cleared his throaght.

"If I may continue...I see you've already met Yuffie, there." He nodded at the woman sitting next to me. "And Leon." The man who had helped me on the island waved slightly. I waved back.

"And then there's Cloud." Merlin nodded his head back to the man leaning against the wall. He made no sign of recognition, but stared at me, so I knew that he was listening.

"Now, on with the story. When your Father, Sora Hikari, was your age, he was chosen to be the Keyblade master. Sora went from world to world, searching for his lost friends, Kairi, your Mother, and Riku, his best friend." I remembered Uncle Riku! He had also dissapeared the night my Father had.

"Along with him went Goofy Goof, the Captain of the Gaurd, and Donald Duck, the Court Magician. Both were from Disney Castle, and were traveling with Sora under King Mickey's orders. Sora eventually found Riku, but his heart had been consumed by darkness, and his body taken over by Ansem. Sora also found Kairi, whose lost heart had been inside him through his travels. He released it, using the Keyblade, and turned into a heartless himself. Kairi, however, was revived, and revived him as well." I looked at Mom, and saw her smiling and blushing both at the same time. I smiled and turned back to Merlin.

"In the end, Sora defeated Ansem, who had been looking for Kingdom Hearts, the Heart of all worlds, for he believed that it was made of complete darkness. However, he was wrong, for a heart that is completely whole has darkness and light. Ansem was so overcome with light, that he perished. Unfortionately, to close the doors to Kingdom Hearts and keep the darkness from escaping, the Door needed to be sealed from both sides. King Mickey and Riku were on one, while Sora, Donald, and Goofy were on the other.

"With the Door sealed, Sora, Donald, and Goofy now had a new mission: to find Riku and the King. But this meant that Sora had to leave Kairi behind, after a long search for her, but he promised to return. The three ended up in a new world, where there resided the members of Organization XIII. They defeated some of the members, and Sora, Donald, and Goofy were put to sleep by Namine, a mysterious girl with an even more mysterious power.

"When Sora woke up, one year had passed. Much had changed, and Sora learned that Organization XIII were Nobodies, the empty shell that is left behind when a person with a strong will is turned into a heartless. While Sora and the others believed that they had defeated Ansem, King Mickey said that that hadn't been Ansem, but an imposter." King Mickey stepped in.

"The imposter's name was Xemnas, the Nobody of one of Ansem's aprrentice's, Xehanort. He was the leader of Organization XIII." The King let Merlin continue the story.

"Sora soon learned that when he had been turned into a heartless, a Nobody was created, as well. This Nobody was called 'Roxas', and was originally the thirteenth member of Organization XIII. However, a man named DiZ decided that he had to be hidden, and created a virtual world called Twilight Town. Kairi, as well, also had a Nobody, who was no other than Namine, the one who put Sora to sleep.

"Sora and Kairi were reunited with their 'other halfs', Roxas and Namine, and became whole. DiZ turned out to be the true Ansem the Wise, who had been seeking revenge for his assistances' betrayel, but, after seeing how loyal Riku was to Sora, so loyal that he would let himself take the guise of Xehanort's Nobody to help him, he regretted his past actions, and instead, decided to make a mense to Sora, Kairi, and Riku for what they had been put through.

"Since Xemnas believed that he could become whole if he opened Kingdom Hearts, Ansem attempted to use a machine he had made to digitally seal Kingdom Hearts, but he was unsucsessful. He failed, however, because the hearts were unpredictable, and was destroyed, along with a portion of Kingdom Hearts." Once again, King Mickey stepped in, and finished up the tale.

"After that, Riku and Sora were seperated from us, and had to fight Xemnas alone. They won, and were returned to Destiny Islands, along with Kairi. Everything was peaceful for ten years, but there was a sudden attack at Disney Castle, my home. My world was destroyed, but everyone was able to make it out safe. We knew that we had to call upon Sora again, though we hated to do it." The King turned to me, a sorry look on his face.

"We knew that you had been born only four years prior, but if we didn't call upon Sora, then there would be no more anyone at all." I smiled sadly.

"I understand. It's alright. I, just..." I looked down, and squeezed my eyes shut to keep the tears from coming. "I just wish I knew where he was." I felt my Mother wrap her arm around my shoulders, and squeeze them comfortingly.

"We're sorry, Sakura, but, I'm afraid we don't know about his wearabouts or of Goofy's or Donald's. However," I looked up, hope slowly rising, "that's where you come in. Tell me, Sakura," King Mickey stepped closer to me, "what did this boy who gave you the Keyblade look like?" I blinked.

"Er, well...he had spiky, dark-brown hair, and dark blue eyes, like mine, and he was wearing all black." Yuffie jumped up off the bed.

"See! I told you that it was Sora!" She smiled triumphantly. I gaped.

"You mean that was my Father?!" Now it all made since! That's how he knew of the promise my Father made! He was my Dad! I smiled, and jumped off the bed, too. "He's still alive, then!" Everyone nodded. I could barely contain myself. "That's great! That's wonderful! That's marvelous, stupendous, absolutely wonderful!" Everyone laughed.

"Not only does she look just like him!" Leon let out between chuckles. "She acts just like him! Naive, childish, and overexcited about everything." I stopped my not-yet-but-turning-into-parade to glare at Leon.

"Hey!" I pouted. Everyone just laughed harder. I smiled. Once everyone had stopped, King Mickey began speaking again.

"Sakura, you don't jave to do what I'm about to ask of you if you don't want to." He said, becoming very serious again. "But, under the circumstances, I was wondering if you would take your Father's place, at least until we find him." I was surprised that Mickey would be asking me to do such an important thing. I summoned the Keyblade again, and held it out in front of me, sideways so I could look at it. I smirked.

"Well, I suppose I could, but under one condition." I said winking. King Mickey looked up at me.

"And, what is that?" I giggled.

"While I was asleep here, I had a dream of a boy in a black coat with blonde hair and blue eyes." Everyone gasped. I sweatdropped.

"I see you've heard of him, too. Mind tellin' me who he is?"

"That was Roxas. I wonder how he was able to seperate from Sora, though." The King said, though the last part was more to himself.

"Well, anyway, Roxas told me that I had to awaken the Keyblade master, and I'm guessing that this Keyblade master is my Dad?" King Mickey nodded. I leaned on the Keyblade.

"Then, the condition is that, while I am traveling the different worlds, that I will also be looking for my Father, my Uncle Riku, and my best friend, Kyo." King Mickey blinked at me, then smiled.

"Of course!" He laughed, and held out his hand. I shook it, and our agreement had been made.

"Now, wait just one minute." I turned to look at my Mom. She had stood from where she was sitting on the bed, and had a terrified look on her face, that she was trying to cover up, but wasn't doing a very good job of it. She was wringing her hands in front of her, out of nervousness, I suppose.

"Sakura just can't go, galavanting off! I mean, sure, when the Destiny Islands were destroyed before, Sora really had no choice but to go off on an adventure, but the circumstances are different now! And plus there's no one to travel with her. What if she gets hurt, or lost, or something else happens, and--" I could see my Mother was on the brink of tears. I de-summoned the Keyblade and walked over to her. I took her hands in mine.

"Mom?" I asked. Tears were begining to fall down her face. "I promise you that I'll come back. You said I was just like Dad, so, if I make this promise, then shouldn't I be able to keep it, too?" My Mother smiled, and nodded.

"You are so much like your Father." She said, hugging me.

"And as for her traveling alone," King Mickey said, and my Mother released me, "she won't be." I blinked at him.

"Huh?" King Mickey smiled.

"Your companions are waiting at the castle. C'mon."

/-/-/-/-/

Phew! Done with chapter 2! So, Sakura has officially become the 'stand-in' for her Father, and also knows the whole truth about him. There sure was a TON of explaining in this chapter, and I apologize if I got any of the details wrong. I have yet to finish the second game, and I got most of my info of Wikipedia (all hail WIKIPEDIA! Woot!). Oh, and Rising Dragon, thanks for telling me about Kairi's name. I don't know why I thought it had two i's at the end.

R and R, please!


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